Bank of Birmingham Tries Subtle Design

BANK OF BIRMINGHAM TRIES SUBTLE DESIGN
GLASS TO MAKE IT FEEL MORE OPEN

JOHN GALLAGHER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

If many suburban banks attempt to look like a fake Mt. Vernon, the soon-to-open Bank of Birmingham is trying something more subtle.

Scheduled to open this summer at 33583 Woodward in Birmingham, the bank has a design that purposely avoids awnings, window signage and other trappings of suburban bank styles. Instead, extensive use of glass, windows and skylights is meant to signal an open, understated design. The exterior will be covered in Jerusalem stone from Israel. The interior, done in the same stone with slate floors and cherry-wood finishes, is designed as an open banking pavilion with a large lounge area where customers are welcome to linger.

Designed by Luckenbach Ziegelman Architects of Bloomfield Hills, the bank hopes to stand out as a quiet alternative in a bustling suburban landscape.

"Our goal is to be the quiet one on a loud street," architect Robert Ziegelman said. "We are hoping that the Bank of Birmingham will be seen as a welcoming space in a very high-energy area."

Bank of Birmingham's 8,700-square-foot main office will be in a renovated 70-year-old structure, formerly occupied by a cellular phone center and furniture store.

Bank President and CEO Robert Farr said the $1.4-million renovation should create an environment in which customers feel comfortable.

"We are all about listening to customer needs and delivering customized services instead off-the-shelf banking products," he said.